Renault Estafette Van, Mk2 Cortina GT

So without a functioning car I am house bound as I’m still off work damaged. I live 3 miles from anywhere so a vehicle is needed if Mrs Jonsey is in work. The Cortina is road legal but has fouled a plug as carbs have not been rejeted yet. Easy fix but i’m not prepared to drive it if the roads are being salted. The van only needs a fan belt but I’m not prepared to lay on the floor outside to first measure and then fit it. If I lay down I’ll struggle to get up. Also I don’t think I’ll be able to turn the steering wheel at the moment. The MGZR has no mot and don’t really want to spend any money on it. This just leaves the Escort.

Now if you cast you mind back a few weeks ago, you’ll remember that when I started it for the first time in God knows how many months, the brakes didn’t work as the master cylinder for the hydraulic handbrake had failed. Luckily I had ordered a new one and it was sitting in the house. So today I fitted it which was a nice easy job as you can do it from the comfort of the drivers seat. Getting out of the driver seat after was a bit of a struggle but I now have a new daily.

[img style="max-width:100%;" src="http://img.retro-rides.org/i

The downside is I can’t actually leave it anywhere as some scrote will Nick it.

Normally I hold onto the cage and swing myself out. Not at the moment. I have to exit the car backwards. Butt first. Awkward but painless 😁

Cheers Vincento.

Thanks Melle. I have been toying with the idea of one of these. I was hoping it would somehow be one size fits all so I could use it on which ever car I was using, but I’d have to buy at least 2. And there over £100. That’s more than I paid for the Escort 😁

Hidden switch in the ignition circuit works a treat. Many lifetime ago , a P.O had wired the ignition through an extra fog light switch on my mk2 2.3 granny. Added security was good...downhill forced backfires were epic!!!!

Happy days ! Said it would just be a clerical up cock.

This morning I had a welding job to finish for my brother. Those that remember the long term project Healey 3000 project he had on the chassis is all painted and rebuilt engine etc all fitted up. Front and rear shrouds are back on so just gapping of outer panels left. I’d welded the edges of the doors and a few repairs on the rear wings yesterday and had made a start on the boot lid. The new rear shroud (£2500 approx) was a shocking fit. I have previously else’s this to sort the gaps but the bottom of the boot lid was easier to split and add too rather than play with the shroud again, so a sliver had to be added. I started it yesterday and tacked in the strip. Went to finish it this morning and ran out of gas😩. . So that was the end of that. And maybe for some time if a can’t get hold of some Argon.

So what do I do know. I thought I would get the Cortina out from underneath it’s sheet and give it a wash. First I had to move the rally car. With dodgy starter / ring gear, would it start? Yes indeed. So down the near 15mins drifting it round the field. Good fun for the whole family. Well me anyway. The family just watched. So time to pull out the Cortina. Would it start.....? Eventually after a lot of attempts and throttle pumping. But only on 3 cylinders. No surprise really as it was only running on 3 when I parked it up. But I’d bought some new plugs as I new no4 wasn’t firing. New plug and we’re on 4👍. So after 15 mins of driving round the field with the 2 Jonsey Juniors I thought I’d give it a wash. There’s been a bird getting into the garage, sitting on the top beam of the 2 post lift and crapping on it .





So out with Aldi’s best car shampoo and spruced it up a bit.
Even gave the rally car a wash ( it was filthy), Jonsey Junior the younger getting in on the action too







So with the Cortina all dressed up with nowhere to go I thought we’d take it up onto the field and have a car show for one.





So with the cars out of the garage I gave it a quick clean up


Went to put the rally car back in. Would it start? Would it curse word. So myself, Mrs Jonsey and Both Jonsey Juniors had to spin the car in the yard and push it back up the slope into the garage. That saw me off.

So next was to put the Cortina back in the garage. Would it start? Yes indeed. And still on 4😁.

Then it was fire pit and marshmallow time for the kids while we had a drink( so apologies for bad spelling etc).

I had been using an electrical screwdriver as the shaft is insulated so doesn’t scratch the rim. But for these wheels I bought a hubcap puller which is T shaped with a hook on it. It’s grey and even has Ford written onit as I think it was from a Focus. I was going to take a photo for you but it’s disappeared??

Buy a new one, and keep that one for bits.